Outdoor shelter construction



H. J. BATTlsToNl ETAL 3,456,980

OUTDOOR SHELTER CONSTRUCTION July 22, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Aug. lO, 1967 ATTOR NE YJ July 22, 1969 H, J, BATT|ST0N| T AL 3,456,980

OUTDOOR SHELTER CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. lO, 1967 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 United States Patent O f 3,456,980 OUTDQOR SHELTER CONSTRUCTION Harry J. Battistoni, R.F.D., Unionville, Conn. 06085,

and Alice M. Vandergrift, 289 Oakville Drive, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15220 Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 393,977,

Sept. 2, 1964. This application Aug. 10, 1967, Ser.

Int. Cl. A47c 7/00 U.S. Cl. 297-184 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A cabana type outdoor shelter is provided which has an open front, a roof and a closed back, together with a horizontally extending seat portion for accommodating a plurality of persons and including novel means for permitting its free rotation by the prevailing wind in such manner as to at all times present its closed back thereto; together with numerous structural details which provide durability Iand freedom from adjustment or repair.

The present application is a joint continuation-in-part application deriving from pending patent application Ser. No. 393,977, filed Sept. 2, 1964, in the name of Harry l. Battistoni, sole (now abandoned).

As stated hereinabove, the invention relates to outdoor Cabana type shelters for the use of several or more persons for protection from the elements; and more particularly one which is adapted to be rotatably supported on a permanent base of concrete or the like.

The general object of the present invention is to provide a shelter construction of the type described which is sufficiently sturdy to withstand many years of maintenance-free use and which is also of relatively simple construction and easily and quickly assembled or disassembled as desired.

Another object is to provide an outdoor cabana type shelter construction which possesses a minimum number of essential parts `and which is otherwise well suited to 10W cost quantity production.

Still another object is to provide an outdoor cabana type shelter of the type referred to which is not only rotatable but which is of such construction that it always presents its back or closed side to the prevailing wind.

The invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and as particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed dra-wings setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative of but some of the ways in which the principles of the invention may ybe employed.

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of the apparatus of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the showing of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the rotatable mount and taken on the line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a horizontal sectional view through the rotatable mount taken on the line 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the cabana-type shelter of the present invention is shown as comprising a permanent base of concrete or the like, which may be circular in plan. Cast into the center portion 12 of the permanent base 10 is a plurality of bolts ICC 14 to which there is secured a metallic base plate 20 having suitable apertures therein,

A post means generally indicated at 24 is connected with the base plate 20 for vertically supporting the remaining part of the shelter and for conning the same to rotation relative to the permanent base 10.

According to a preferred embodiment, the post means 24 comprises a vertically extending lower tubular portion or pipe 30 which is welded or fixed at its lower end to the base plate 20 and an upper elongate cylindrical member 32 which is slip-fitted into the lower pipe or cylindrical sleeve 30 and projects thereabove to 'be rigidly connected with the remainder of the shelter as described hereinafter.

Disposed between the lower end of the elongate cylindrical member 32 and that portion of the upper surface of the base plate 20 `which is within the cylindrical sleeve or pipe 30 is a thrust bearing 34.

The periphery of the thrust bearing 34 is preferably sliptted into the lower end of the cylindrical sleeve or pipe 30; and at least one-half of the area of the upper race of this thrust bearing is contacted by the lower extremity of the elongate cylindrical member 32 which may, for example, have an outside diameter of 4 inches.

The aforementioned area of contact is evenly distributed around the upper surface of the upper race of the thrust bearing 34 because both the bearing and the lower end of the elongate cylindrical member 32 are maintained in concentricity within the outer cylindrical sleeve or pipe 30 which is preferably filled with oil and provided with an upper gasket or sealing ring 35 of neoprene, for eX- ample.

The main body of the shelter is preferably made in two sections as shown by the drawings. These sections include a vertically extending curvilinear lower section 38 and an upper or roof section 40 which is generally C- shaped in end elevation and which extends forwardly from the upper edge of the lower section 38.

The vertically extending curvilinear lower section 38 includes a back wall portion 42 and two side -wall portions 44, 44.

Included as part of the lower section 38 of the main body of the shelter is a ilat horizontally extending seat 26 which is generally C-shaped in plan and which is located within the back and side wall portions thereof so as to be in a sheltered position.

The upper end of the elongate cylindrical member 32 is attached to the approximate center of the underside of the horizontally extending seat 26.

It will be observed that the lower section 38 has a generally horizontal upper edge portion 46 and the upper section 40 has a complementarily formed generally horizontal lower edge portion 48; and the same may be suitably fastened together by nuts and bolts 49.

The forward edges of the side wall portions 44 of the lower section 38 terminate in outwardly extending and relatively flat flanges 51; and the forward edge of the roof and side Wall portions of the upper section 40 terminate in a continuous outwardly extending and relatively flat flange 53.

The outwardly extending and relatively flat flanges 51- 53 of the lower and upper sections 38 and 40, respectively occupy substantially the same vertical plane; and it is of equal importance that said anges be at least 2inches in width at all points.

Molded fiberglass or similar rigid material may be utilized for both the lower section 38 and the upper section 40; and if desired the upper section 40 may be so shaped as to provide a pair of generally vertically extending exterior ribs 54 which are approximately 2inches wide and each of which is spaced approximately 20-inches from the vertical center-line of the upper section.

When constructed in the manner described the shelter composed f the lower section 38 and the upper section will tend to orient itself in such manner as to maintain the back portions thereof facing the wind, thereby keeping persons in the shelter protected from the wind and driving rain, this being due to the fact that the sideI wall portions 44, 44 and the 4roof section extend substantially further forwardly than rearwardly from the center post means so that as viewed from the side in FIG. 1, a substantially greater surface area iS located in front of the .post means than in back of the post means. It will also be understood that, although the main body of the shelter 'has been shown as being comprised of two sections which are initially separate from each other, this is not essential to the broader aspects of the invention and if desired, the main body of the shelter may be made as a single unit with the two sections integrally joined to each other.

Suitable means, not shown, may be provided for releasably locking the' shelter in any given orientation, but preferably, it is left freely rotating so as to be capable of being turned by the wind.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A Cabana type outdoor shelter comprising, in combination,

a lower section having a generally vertically extending curvilinear back wall terminating at each end in a generally vertically extending curvilinear side wall portion;

a horizontal seat in said lower section which is attached along its rear edge to said back and side wall portions;

a permanent base of concrete or the like which is set into the ground;

a base plate secured to said permanent base;

a cylindrical sleeve secured to and extending upwardly from said base plate;

a thrust bearing disposed in said cylindrical sleeve and resting upon said base plate;

an elongate cylindrical member slip-fitted in said cylindrical sleeve and projecting from the upper end thereof;

the lower end of said elongate cylindrical member resting upon said thrust bearing;

4 means for attaching the upper end of said elongate cylindrical member to the approximate center of the underside of said horizontal seat; and

a horizontally and vertically curved upper section extending upwardly and forwardly with respect to the aforementioned back and side wall portions of said lower section and providing vcurved and interconnected back wall, side wall and roof portions;

the forward edges of said lower and upper sections terminating in an outwardly extending ange which is at least two inches in width;

said upper section being so shaped and oriented relative to the center of said horizontal seat that when viewed from the side said Cabana type outdoor shelter has a substantially greater surface area in front of the center of said horizontal seat than behind the same.

2. A Cabana type outdoor shelter as dened in claim 1 wherein said lower and upper sections are separate from each other, said lower section having a generally horizontal upper edge portion and said upper section having a complementarily formed generally horizontal lower edge portion; and means joining the aforementioned generally horizontal edge portions.

3. A Cabana type outdoor shelter as defined in claim 1 wherein said lower and upper sections are made of a rigid plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 439,376 10/ 1890 Blanchard 52-65 1,171,346 2/1916 Rose 52-65 3,111,721 11/1963 Montague 52-65 FOREIGN PATENTS 232,832 3/1911 Germany.

486,156 11/1929 Germany.

JAMES T. MCCALL, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

